Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

retractile

Syllabification: (re·trac·tile)
Pronunciation: /riˈtraktəl, -ˌtīl/
Definition of retractile

adjective

Zoology
  • capable of being retracted:a long retractile proboscis

Derivatives

retractility

Pronunciation: /ˌrēˌtrakˈtilətē/
noun

Origin:

late 18th century: from retract, on the pattern of contractile

retractile in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of retractile in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite

More words in this category

Word of the day

epithalamium

/ ˌɛpɪθəˈleɪmɪəm /
noun
a song or poem celebrating a marriage …